First Book Draws Raves For 91-year-old Author

People

Mary Stewart Hamilton always admired writers, but she had to wait until her mid-80s to become one.

A firm believer in ``better late than never``, Hamilton, 91, is a nominee for the 1985 Literary Award for the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, Canada, for her book, Timmie.

The Canadian native has lived part-time in Fort Lauderdale for the past 20 years to escape her homeland`s harsh winters.

Her 349-page novel tells of a boy and his dog growing up on a farm. She credits her husband, Clark Hamilton, for providing the story`s background. Clark Hamilton fondly talked of his boyhood growing up on a farm and his wife was convinced that the story should be shared. She was a city girl.

``Nobody hasn`t told me they didn`t like the book, but then I imagine they wouldn`t, would they?`` said Hamilton, with a wink.

``You can`t write without having something to write about,`` Hamilton said. ``I felt I had something to say in that book.``

Although she had no children, her commitment to her husband, her church and home, which she designed and furnished, put free time at a premium. A keen interest in growing flowers, flower arranging and photography also postponed her writing.

A pioneer in the Canadian women`s movement, she studied the position of women under Canadian law and worked for several years with the women faculty at local universities. They lobbied for recognition and appreciation of the woman`s role in the family.

``I really didn`t have anything special to crow about. But I brought (the issue) forward and got others interested,`` she said.

She was especially concerned with the rights of women after their husbands died. ``Many times they got nothing, especially the farm women,`` she said.

Her condominium on Galt Ocean Drive is decorated with a homey elegance that reflects her personality. She enjoys coming to Fort Lauderdale for the lazy days of winter, but ``home`` is Canada and always will be.

Writing a second book, she said, depends on whether she finds something else worthy enough to share. Suggest an autobiography and she just smiles.

When publisher Betty Wright read Timmie, she had no idea the author was 91 years old and a rookie author.

``I was rather impressed by the story,`` said Wright of Rainbow Press in Moore Haven. ``It reminded me of the Little House on the Prairie. It`s a book I would want my granddaughter to read.``

Hamilton dedicated the book to her husband, who died almost two years ago at the age of 101. They were married 57 years. Although he never saw the book in published form, he read the sections as Hamilton wrote them. And after he became ill, he would choose Timmie when Hamilton offered to read to him.

``He would lie there with his eyes closed and I would think he had fallen asleep so I would stop reading. But he wasn`t. As soon as I stopped, he would open his eyes and want me to keep reading,`` Hamilton said.